The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1887-12-04
THE DEVILS BACKBONE.


o,8 Ben Dcrrick's cabin lay at the foot
avid Cat mountain. 10 was an hour
.eo l.(nrc sunset. and a woman vas
.-.-,i,nr The bald mountain side
Wbcn Mrs Derrick caught the CLEAN
% ,rhitc lace aud red shawl against the
s.rs,round Of gray powders, she said,
.s.l.nc before her doorway. "Thar's
aat hotel boardcr."
rheuupon o.rk, athletic formed, wei
,-.e.el man. followed by q hoor.sh girl,
...,.l from fho door into the yard
an.nf ten me that woman ls half dcnd
I'D. rar.umnfou." continued Mrs Der
I'd following the figure ON The dark bin
..n Der eyes. "Why. She can ont irapse
r,t fool Eugishman down ai Cordooan
p...h And what is DO alI fur Stands
~ -..son that the Ene.ishman may go
.r.rrcer. turkeys and ducks bat Size is
..h.n' r0cksaud wcarIn ont shoe leather
..st0 cape 40 nothIn'
q.e fark faced man bad put mp q field
s.s.. ara through So had kept his eyes
.....g fixed on the woman with the rcd
T.e rrl Molly Derrick, was GAZING,
.. ,.th something like animation in her
,.,al Gcc ull, set upon by der shrcwish
..-her She was forced to leave on and
,-rr nr0fs 90 cook the supper
Whom Molly had finished piilng mp
-.rts arl cedar chips She fingered about
ael.rk faced man, and presently asked
aWhat DO she pear TO bee dom now,
JOE"
sitting ou rock by the cross, with a
t.r.krcmef to her lnouth." answered
re u English, which had a marked
Spanish accent
nUumnhi know what that means
HUmi said Joe, still nOtturning from
ae spyg.ass
usnna mp blood, said Molly "and
.0l.r.I off thur at the DEVILS Backbone
Dim nirht settled on the hills. Mrs
D,rrck's cqmp fire reflected % broad
aarm glory The cabin lay in the pre-
,r.fs of 10. as did The clumps of ccoars
.hat were now oNlulug OdOr0us balm on
He D.. .lt ar presently the woman with
hereI shawl a..cl into fue circle of ra-
tnno. She had come down from the
mountain leclt with limos chill and log
rnr Not waiting for am invitation. She
moved YEARLY toward thc fire Mrs.
Derrick roughly showed 40 Tine intruder %
DINO box for % seat, then went on r.oop-
nr above q frying pan and sc1lo.ng
Molly The latter leaving oft all cu.in-
ary cooperation was fixed with Der stra-
nmIc gaze now ON the Stranger rich
1eiHcoats torn by chaparral and dragged
with dew. and now on the wearer's white
nce moody and sa.urnine
THE bright shawl fen from the womnn's
shoulders stopping carelcssly forward. %
dark cased. slender figure. She sac with
ln fingers cla.pod, and gaunt. naughty
g.gn- eyes si0Vcrug mthcr and thither
Presently those rcstlesso eyes fell on Indian
10. aIuatrug 0u The grass against %
udar. and Doe trembicl $50 violently before
tat boldly scarcnng, ins0lenuy beautiful
r1o ho needed 10 put down the tn cup
ram ls hand lest he should have split
rte pint of hot coffee ON a Derrick brat
lat sauwlod at bis feet.
Mr Derrick disappr0ved mo- little Of
hs fine Stranger aud half an h0ur later,
Fheu tho guest. refreshed by Derrick
tens0n and eoats milk. had walked away
nl0tho bushes and darkness, nOuchaluutly
asme came Mrs. Derrick feh to abusing
moro civilized sister "Cals herself
Ms Lucia W0rld' llow's anybody 90
know IL That is her shorc-nud nmmo.'
far hcr part Mrs Derrick believed darkly
Foo au alias connected with the case
After Airs Derrick had retired I'm her
cabin f0l tie night she heard voice. that
She recognized as Bobby Winters. talk
ng, iu an unm'stakablc tone of excite
ment, with Indian Joe outside by the
camp fire.
Sensations were rare in these bucohc
regions Rumors came, indeed, often M
robbery and murder corpses and teams
ilmbicd into the corges from the sleepy
cliffs Of the Devils Backbone-but that
wos comparatively iar Oh This was bct-
er-this was ueaIer-s0 Mrs Derrick
hoped Shccaughta frugmentof Bobby's
story.
ia can't do nothin', jess chaws to-
mcco and splits hard as DE can, fur an
ho Uofl lac he did when Billy got snake
De- Sine said you could do something.
ha ant got time
$50. thought Mrs Derrick, in q men
ul aside. ''if an creation was anre yer ma
aoud go on washing dishes and getun'
reaay Tor shoppers But the voices were
gone Mrs. Derrick hurredly awakened
o.l Derrick, who, being already enducd
with 40 the clothes he possessed, had only
20 rub BIS eyes and rush ont after the van
sizing Bobby and Indian Joe Mrs Der
rck would fain have followed. had not her
hd l.it behind him an oath and admOni-
uon effective in lettering her
Who Is sher Mrs Derrick wondering
By asked herself "Bet it's that Lucia
World How did she know what Joe
could DO and never sot eyes on him till
'o.uighr'
When Indian Zoe crossed the threshold
% Winters be was again seized with q
Violent tremor On the long board cOuu-
Ter Of The store. or bmroom, within, lay
ne CORY figure Of q young man Dews Of
.ilung lay on the face beautiful as
Byron and beside it sat Lucia World.
ih oe pat aside bis weakness quickly
sprWu-. walked forward found
ire was q broken arm 10 be ret,
.ol "a needle and proceeded 90 sew
-pa chastity cat which Lucia World was
t.alc..us about the stranger's head.
la Che kitchen Mrs. Winter was saying
Nerlaaan's Ranch ain SO far OFT. why
olt le send there for his wife 90 come
%.